Stepladder-chair



S. STAYMAN.

STEPLADDER CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21. 1919.

1,362,051. Patented Dec. 14,1920.

UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEIPLADDER-GI-IAIR.

Application filed February 21, 1919.

1 "0 (at whom at may concern Be it known that I, SOLOMON STAYMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of lVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Stepladder-Chair, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combination chair which may be used as a. chair or as a step-ladder, as may be desired.

It is the general object of my invention to provide a chair which shall occupy a relatively small space when folded, and which may be readily arranged as a chair or as a step-ladder without requiring the use of tools or any removal or addition of parts.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a step-ladder chair so designed that it will be simple in construction and economical in manufacture.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafterv described and more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

A preferred form of my invention is shown in the drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of my invention in use as a chair;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device in use as a step-ladder, and

Fig. at shows the folded position of the parts.

My improved step-ladder chair comprises a back 10, a seat 11 pivoted at 12 to said back, a pair of legs 13, and a back support 14. The back 10 is formed of side pieces 10 and 10 secured to cross pieces 15 which also serve as ste s when the device is in use as a step-ladder. Each leg 13 is connected by links 16 and 17 to the seat 11 and engages the seat near its front edge, when the device is in use as a chair. The legs then extend downwardly and rearwardly through the back 10 in contact with the lower face of the lower step 15. The lower end of each leg 13 engages the surface on which the chair rests at a point substantially to the rear of the back 10.

l'Vhen the device is folded, and also when in use as a step-ladder, the lower ends of the legs are supported by guides 18 carried by the side pieces 1O and 10", 'as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The provision of the link 17 in addition to the link 16 prevents the legs from swinging down and projecting ob- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14,1920.

Serial No. 278,504.

jectionably beyond the front edge of the back when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3.

The back support 14 is connected by links 19 to the upper portion of the back 10 and is also connected by links 20 to the seat 11. When the device is in use as a chair, the back support is inoperative, but when in use as a step-ladder the upper end of the support 14 engages the upper end of the back 10 and firmly supports the latter. At the same time the links 20 support the seat 11 in position to serve as one of the steps of the ladder.

It is desirable in a step ladder that the upper step should be of substantial width to aii'ord a firm support for the foot. T0 attain this result, I have provided a wide cross member 21 having its ends pivoted at 22 and 23 to the upper ends of the side members 10 and 10 A small bracket 24: on the inner face of each side member serves as a stop for the cross member 21 in the two positions shown in Figs. 1 and 3. In the first position, the broad flat under side of the step forms a comfortable cross member for the back, and in Fig. 3 the member 21 forms a wide upper step. A suitable fastener, such as a hook and eye connection 25 holds the step securely in position.

The change from one form to the other is very readily made by swinging the seat upwardly and thereafter swinging the back support 14 toward or away from the back before the seat is again lowered. When not in use, the device folds to the compact position shown in Fig. 4c.

In order to prevent the possibility of ac cident by any unexpected movement of the parts, I preferably provide a locking brace 26, which is operative when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3. To fold the parts to the position of Fig. i, it is necessary to raise the joint of the brace 26 manually and, until this is done, the parts are rigidly locked.

Having thus described my invention, it will be seen that the parts are of simple construction and that the whole device is economical to manufacture and is rigid and substantial in both operative positions thereof. It will be further evident that changes and modifications can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the claims, and I do not wish to be otherwise limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim 1. A step-ladder chair comprising a back having steps therein, a seat pivoted thereto, a pair of legs each connected near one end to said seat, and extending rearward beyond the lower end of the back when supporting said seat, and a back support connected at one end to said back in the upper portion thereof, and supporting said back and the free edge of said seat when the device is in use as a step ladder. I

2. A step-ladder chair comprising a back having steps therein, a seat pivoted thereto, a pair of legs each linked to said seat and engaging the same near the front edge thereof and extending downwardly and rearwardly in engagement with the under side of one of said steps when the device is in use as a chair, and a back support linked to said back and en aging the same near the upper end thereof when the deviceis in use as a step-ladder, said back support being also linked to said seat.

3. A step-ladder chair comprising a back having steps therein, a seat pivoted thereto,

a back support linked to said back and to said seat, a pair of legs linked to said seat and engaging the under side of one of said steps when in operative position, and guides on said back effective to support said legs when in inoperative position.

- 4. A step-ladder chair comprising a back having steps therein, a seat pivoted thereto, a pair of legs engaging said seat near its front edge and extending downwardly and rearwardly through said back and engaging the surface on which the chair is supported at a point at the rear of said back when the device is in use as a chair, and means to support said back when the device is in use as a step-ladder.

5. A step-ladder chair comprising a back having steps therein, a seat pivoted thereto, a pair of legs linked near their upper ends to said seat and having their lower portions slidably supported by said separate back, and a back support linked to said back and to said seat and operative to support the back when the device is in use as a stepladder.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

SOLOMON STAYMAN.

It isiherebycertified that in Letters Patent 1,362,051, granted December 14, 1920, upon the application of Solomon Stayman, of Worcester, Massachusetts,

for an improvement in Stepladder-Chairs, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 49, claim 5, strike out the word separate, same page and claim, line 50, before the word back, first occurrenee, insert the Word separate; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of January, A. D., 1921.

[SEAL] L. B. MANN,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

